Device for reaffixing closure caps to bottles and the like



March 17, 1931. s. S WEENEY 1,797,106

DEVICE FOR REAFFIXING CLOSURE CAPS TO BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Filed July 25, 1929 Patented Mar. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN SWEENEY, OF LADYWOOD, BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND {DEVICE FOR REAFFIXING CLOSURE CAPS TO BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Application filed July 25, 1929, Serial No. 381,053, and in Great Britain May 24, 1929.

The present invention relates to an improved device for reafiixing closure caps to bottles and the like. The usual practice with closure caps is to press over the rim of the neck of a bottle a metal cap, the periphery of which is shaped to embrace the rim of the neck of the bottle and is generally formed with a plurality of slits to provide the desired resiliency and to enable the cap toproperly reside around the appropriate seating. In removing these caps, it is usual to employ a small lever in the form of an apertured metal member, one edge of its aperture being engaged under the rim of the cap and one end over the top of the cap. After removing, it is frequently desirable to replace it so that it is properly closed as in its original condition, and the object of the present invention is to provide a device for replacing and closing the cap on to the appropriate seating. nother object of this invention is to provide a combined removing and reafiixing device.

Broadly a closure cap reaflixing device ac cording to my invention consists of a support for a pair of clamping members adapted to be moved one towards the other and having arcuate opposing faces to embrace the periphery of the selected cap, a leverage de vice being associated with them for effecting movement of one of them towards the other at the requisite pressure to reseat themetal cap. It is preferred to combine with the leverage device a cap removing device to provide a removing and reaflixing device.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, I have appended hereto a sheet of drawings illustrating an embodiment of same and wherein,

Fig. 1 is an inverted plan view.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and

Fig. 3 is a plan view.

Referring to the drawings the device con sists of a pair of'metal jaws a and b having opposing arcuate edges a and b respectively so as to provide an approximately circular opening between them. One of the jaws a is fixed across one end of a small metal plate 0, and the other jaw b is pivotally supported at one end for instance by a pivot pin (Z passed through a lug or link e extending from the corresponding end of the other jaw a. The other end of the pivoted aw is free to be moved towards and awayfrom the corresponding end of the fixed jaw a, the movement towards the fixed jaw w-being effected by a lever f attached to the plate. This lever f may be a short metal arm as shown fulcrumed on a bolt or pivot pin 9 passed through one end of the metal plate 0- and carrying at itsfulcrum a cam h adapted to engage the outer edge of the pivoted jaw b so that when the arm is swung in a given direction, it will press the edge I)? of the pivoted jaw 6 towards the edges a of the fixed jaw.

The metal cap is reaflixed by placing it on the rim of the neck of a bottle and engaging round its periphery the circular opening provided in the opposing edges a and Z2 of the two jaws, the said lever f then being swung to press the pivoted edge towards the other so as to grip the periphery of the cap and press it round the seating on the neck of the bottle.

The said lever f can be shaped at its free end to correspond to the usual type of device for removing the metal cap, and can have an appropriate aperture h for this purpose so that the combined article is useful for removing and reafiixing metal closure caps.

What I claim is A portable hand operated device for reaffixing closure caps to bottles and the like comprising a pair of jaws one of which is pivotally connected to the other, a plate extending across the two jaws and fixed to one of them, substantially semi-circular recesses in opposing edges of said jaws providing a substantially circular opening, the said plate extending across said opening, a lever pivoted to one end of said plate, a cam on said lever engaging an outer edge of one of said jaws and adapted to move such jaw towards the other upon rotation of said lever in a plane at right angles to the axis of the neck of the bot tle or the like, and a pivot pin passed through said lever and said plate.

In Witness whereof I have signed this specification.

STEPHEN SWEENEY. 

